Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-04-09

had taken all her money, the savings Of
years, ont OF her trunk, and not trace
was left She was convinced that it was
a travelling tin-man, and insisted on hav-
ing him arrested But when Hamish's
room was found to have been unOeeupi-
ed, and that young man failed to put In
an appearance, we ali felt that SOphRn-
isbe's savings had gone with him. A
watch belonging to one OF our family
had disappeared also, but as SOphanisbe
was 50 crushed and Wretched, no at
tempts were made TO capture the thief.
SOphanisbe would not acknowledge an
evil thought Of her boy, and as the weeks
slipped into months and the months
gided imperceptibly into years, she said
she knew he was dead, and tried to think
sol Tried to believe it, because to her
honest soul death were better than dis
grace. And her face took on a colder,
Paler hue, and her tail form grew un-
bending. One evening In November,
just as the gray mist was settling down
on the wet earth, a little boy tapped
gently at the door and thrust a note into
SoPhanisbe's Outstretched hand. 1t was
only few lines:
"Come to me, for Gods sake.
HAAnsH."
She threw on her cloak and bonnet
and followed the boy, while ran close
beside her.
We threaded the narrow, dirty streets
until at last We reached one narrower
and dirtier than ali the rest. The boy
was very little indeed-sO small, IN fact,
thst it was q surprise to hear him speak
plainly. We followed him up a foul
flight Of dark stairs, then through a
long, dingy passage. AT the end he
threw open a door and stood aside to il
Us pass In.
Lying among a heap Of tattered cover
was a man, who, save his large, Wisttul
eyes, bore no earthly resemblance TO
Hamish, so emaciated had he grown, and
so dishaVelled was his heavy beard But
Sophanisbe lmelt down beside him and
wspt silently. He tried to push her
away, but his feeble hands were weak as
a baby's, and the effort cost him a fit Of
coughing, which left him gasping for
breath.
She smoothed his pillow and stroked
his hot head while the little boy gave
him some liquor from a bottle which was
concealed beneath the bed.
Forgive he whispered, broken
", as Sophanisbe drew the cover over his
shoulders.
"Hush, HannishI' she cried; at was
all for you" and her lips quivered pain
fully.
''No, no; not Hamiah, % he muttered;
sh-he-Was-" He pressed
his heart conyulsively, pushing both
wasted hands tight against his breast,
while dark stain Redeemed his lips
The boy, ever Watchtul, wiped It
away. If SOphanisbe heard him, she
did not seem to understand.
'IMy son! My boy she cried; ''For-
get all that has passed. put it out of
your mind dear, and let me care for you
nowp'
She would have kissed him, all IN
washed as he was, but with a weary ges-
ture he turned his face to the wall. He
lay quite still for a moment, then, as if
summOning up all his strength, he said,
laboriOusly:
"DOn't-cal me yOur-sOnl had
no right to tit was not-not naine!"
His voice broke into plahtive moan.
"Oh, boyl what can I DO for your"
Sophanisbe sobbed, talking to him as she
would to a frettul child "My Hamishl
speak and tell mel'
The man sighed, as though his had
been a vain effort, then an eager light
came in bis eyes, and, pointing to the
boy, he whispered:
''Taks him! he-he-is' the words
died on his lips, and his ifeless form
Strengthened out upon the bed.
I crept away into the passage and left
her alone with the dead, whether hers
or not, the grief was her own.
And when SoPhanisbe came home
again she led by the hand little, dark
eyed boy.
No mention was ever made Of Hamish,
but the old look Of peace came back
again to poor Sophanisbe's face as she
sat by the glowing fire with the little
Waif IN her arms.